Shackles of Humanity

Su Wenlin continued, "Sis, I’ve spent the last few days looking around, and there’s no one truly impressive in Longyang City. I even checked out Pan Shi Sports School. Only its principal and vice-principal barely qualify as High-level Martial Artists, and they’re old and weak. They’re nothing to be afraid of!"

The young girl’s brow furrowed even tighter as she tried to reason with him. "Brother, there’s always someone stronger, a sky beyond the sky. Father is a man of great wisdom, yet he remains incredibly discreet. Our race may be vast, but we have just as many enemies. Besides, the great nobles of the Dongyuan Upper Country have always seen us as outsiders..."

"Alright, alright, Sis! You’re killing me. Why do you have to nag just like Mother?" Su Wenlin grew impatient, standing up and pushing open the warehouse door to leave.

The young girl let out a soft sigh and crouched down, tracing patterns on the dusty floor with a slender finger. It looked as if she were working through a difficult mathematical formula. Her face grew increasingly pale, and faint slivers of silver light leaked from between her eyebrows. The dust on the floor seemed to answer a mysterious call, gathering around her.

With a final, pained grunt, she stopped her calculations. She stared at the numbers and symbols on the floor, her brow tightly knitted in worry as she murmured, "This is dangerous. The source of the danger is Brother. Brother, who in the world did you provoke today?"

...

Luo Kai scrubbed the blood from his body with snow as he journeyed alone through the night. The five men Su Wenlin sent had been average fighters, but they knew a coordinated attack tactic that forced him to accelerate his Qi and Blood Circulation to dispatch them quickly. This sudden, lethal exertion had caused his fragile, newly-formed skin to split open and bleed once more.

’To him, Lu Qing was someone he felt a natural instinct to protect, like one would any beautiful thing, not wanting to see her harmed. He had thought the new Young City Lord of the Tri-Eyed Race would be a good match for her, but it turned out he was just a womanizing scumbag—no different from who I was in my past life.’

’It makes sense. Power and status amplify a person’s desires without limit. If I hadn’t lived two lives, I’d undoubtedly be the same.’

’Now I can be sure Lu Qing recognized me. After leaving the estate, she immediately ran back to that little shack and just stood there in a daze for a long time before finally leaving. That girl really cares about me.’

A warmth spread through Luo Kai’s otherwise cold heart. It felt good to be cared for. He had waited until he saw Lu Qing get home safely before leaving. Granny Hua was no ordinary person; she would surely be able to protect her own granddaughter.

He left Longyang City alone, heading toward the sound of rushing water. After more than an hour, a great river nearly a hundred meters wide came into view. He followed its bank for another half hour until he saw a small, bare hill up ahead. While dense vegetation covered both banks of the river, all of it now blanketed in white, this one hill was completely barren. Even the heavy, falling snow seemed to skirt around it, leaving its strange, naked surface exposed.

As he drew closer, Luo Kai felt that familiar frequency once more. He stopped in his tracks, a look of conflict on his face.

For days, he had been wracking his brain for a way to deal with the Evil Qi inside him. ’I’ve tried to guide it out, but it’s already formed its own energy system, separate from my body’s vital circulation. It’s become a part of me, impossible to expel.’

’Worse, whenever I feel any negative emotion, this energy system surges in response, amplifying it. If I feel anger, it makes me more furious. If I feel sorrow, I become more grief-stricken. If I feel jealousy, it triggers a bloodthirsty impulse...’

After a long moment, Luo Kai let out a deep breath. He looked up at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, then closed his eyes, and a frequency from his consciousness emanated from his body.

The mound of earth before him began to tremble, as if something was about to burst forth. A moment later, with a sharp, clear ring, a long and narrow Curved Long Saber erupted from the ground, immediately followed by a Military Dagger.

The Curved Long Saber let out a constant, crisp hum, while the Military Dagger was silent and cold. Both vied to send their unique frequencies toward him.

Luo Kai opened his eyes. Gazing at the two Fierce Weapons before him, his previously adrift mind and body felt anchored. He reached out to gently wipe them clean, his touch like a caress for a beloved woman.

Not long after Luo Kai departed, Big Beard appeared. He gazed after the silhouette in the dark, snowy night and sighed. "The Evil Qi is even stronger. Alas, you poor little fellow."

...

「Three days of heavy snow passed.」 As soon as it stopped, the temperature skyrocketed, climbing to over thirty degrees in less than a day. Even though the plants of this era were much more resilient, few could survive such a drastic swing between cold and heat.

The melting snow triggered massive floods. The water level of the Nili Long River surged, submerging countless villages and fertile fields along its banks. Hordes of refugees poured into Longyang City, and its streets and alleys were soon filled with crude shacks. The city was suddenly packed to the brim.

With his father absent, Su Wenlin, the Young City Lord, had to take part in governing the city. The Tri-Eyed Race was known as an Upper Race for a reason: their superior intelligence and information-processing Ability. They excelled in any field they entered.

Although Su Wenlin had yet to awaken his third eye, he was still far superior to any ordinary person. Furthermore, his family controlled immense resources. He swiftly drafted various relief plans and mobilized large quantities of food from unaffected regions, solving the issue of supplies. However, with so many refugees, leaving them idle would surely lead to major security problems. He therefore took it upon himself to plan the construction of a new industrial district in preparation for the upcoming fuel-powered industrial base.

Within a few days, Su Wenlin had not only handled the refugee crisis adeptly but had also brought order to the city’s various trades and industries, demonstrating a formidable governing Ability. But no one in this world is perfect, and every person has their selfish desires. He remained obsessed with Lu Qing. That night, upon returning home, he immediately summoned the old butler to his room.

"Uncle Zhang, what have you found?"

"Young Master, I’ve looked into it. That girl’s grandmother is no simple woman. She is very likely a Wood Element Master."

Su Wenlin was stunned. "Really?"

"I was afraid of attracting the Elemental Master’s attention, so I didn’t dare send anyone to probe her directly. Instead, I had our people at Black Stone Heavy Industry look into it. Your uncle told me himself, so there can be no mistake!"

A look of delight spread across Su Wenlin’s face as he fell into thought. ’Hmm... I thought she was just some country girl, but she’s connected to an Elemental Master, and the rarest kind, a Wood Element Master, at that. It looks like I’ll have to play my cards right. Father would be thrilled if I married a Wood Element Master!’

For the past few days, Lu Qing’s mind had been elsewhere. She spent her time staring absently out the window. Many refugees had flooded into Lobster Lane, and the small shack she used to visit had been taken over by a group of them.

A small, elegant, gas-powered car pulled up in front of the flower shop. Two burly men got out first, shooing away the nearby refugees. Then, Su Wenlin emerged from the car, pushed open the shop door, and began apologizing the moment he stepped inside. "Miss Lu, I was far too forward last time. I’m truly sorry."

Lu Qing, unaware of what had happened afterward, still had a fairly good impression of him. She quickly waved her hands. "No, I should be the one to apologize. I suddenly remembered something important I had to do, so I rushed off."

Su Wenlin instantly realized Lu Qing didn’t know he’d sent people to grab her, which meant he could scrap the excuses he had prepared. He pulled an invitation card from his coat and said with a warm smile, "Then let’s both drop the formalities. My family is hosting a charity auction today, and all the funds raised will go toward aiding the refugees. Many influential people will be attending. It’s a great opportunity to promote Zilan, and you’ll be helping the refugees as well. Miss Lu, you simply can’t refuse."

Lu Qing had always enjoyed galas. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and took the invitation. "Alright."